Quizzing Quincy

What’s On chats to the inimitable music icon about his brand new venture in Dubai

The new Q’s Bar And Lounge is not quite like anything else you’ll experience in Dubai – it’s all about the music. That’s hardly suprising given the man behind Dubai’s newest bar. We caught up with legendary composer Quincy Jones to find out why, at 83, he’s opened a bar in the UAE.

Your very own bar inside Palazzo Versace Hotel. What gives?

Well, why not? Wouldn’t you like to own a bar? It’s all about dreaming what you love and seeing it come to fruition. Plus, I’m only 83. I’m just getting started.

Now that you’ve opened a bar in Dubai, does this mean we can expect to see a lot more of you in the city?

Yeah, for sure. We’ll be coming here for a long time. This is an amazing place. It’s like they’ve left the world back in the 18th century, they’re so far ahead.

Do you like the music scene here?

I don’t know much about it, but I know it’s growing every day, and we’d like to work with that. You have to keep your eyes open to all the talent around you.

What inspired the look and feel of Q’s?

It’s kind of like stepping back in time, because it’s inspired by the old juke joints from years ago. Juke joints used to be the only places that African Americans could go to dance and party back in the day, and that’s the style of place we’ve gone for.

What bars did you visit back in the day?

There wasn’t a bar on the planet that I did not go to – hanging out with Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, are you kidding me?

What sort of music will we hear?

There are only two types of music in this world: good music and bad music. And we’re going to have good music. We want to represent all the icons, from Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters to modern hip hop. We’re going to have a lot of fun

How much has music changed your life?

It is the most powerful thing on the planet. And I didn’t really get it until I was halfway through my career. I went to Paris, where I was a musical director for Barclay records. I studied with Nadia Boulanger. She said God gives us 12 notes, and we have the same notes everywhere in the world. So forget about languages, the true language is music, and it comes from God. Rhythm, harmony and melody – it’s powerful stuff and it pulls people together wherever you go and wherever you’re from.

Which artists are you listening to today?

I like Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande, Mary J Blige, Jennifer Hudson. The ones who are good! And I know who’s good and who’s not.

What are your thoughts on the current political climate in America, and how have things changed since your day?

Racism is still very present, in America and worldwide. We’ve come along way, and we’ve got a long way to go. Ray Charles and I, when we were 17 and 14, everyday we would say to ourselves: “Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me.” You must protect yourself from racism. And we made it through. If racism in the world was left up to musicians, it would have been over decades ago. Because all that matters to musicians is, “Can you do your thing?” Brown, black, white, whatever… that’s the bottom line and that’s the way it should be.

Palazzo Versace, Al Jaddaf, Mon to Fri 6pm to 2am. Tel: (04) 5568851. Taxi: Palazzo Versace. palazzoversace.ae